Halliday's Functions of Child Language

What is the instrumental function?

This is when a child wants to satisfy a material need.

What is an example of the instrumental function?

A child saying ‘nana’ to mean that they want a banana.

What is the regulatory function?

This is when a child tries to organise someone’s behaviour.

What is an example of the regulatory function?

A child saying ‘eat dinner’ to mean that they want to be given their dinner.

What is the interactional function?

These are utterances that are used simply to promote a conversation with others.

What is an example of the interactional function?

A child saying ‘man clean car’ to mean that they want to have a conversation about the man cleaning the car.

What is the personal function?

This expresses personal thoughts, feelings or opinions

What is an example of the personal function?

A child saying ‘daddy home’ happily to express their thoughts about their father

What is the heuristic function?

This is the question function, used when children want to label or understand the world around them.

What is an example of the heuristic function?

A child saying ‘wassat’ to mean ‘what’s that?’

What is the imaginative function?

When a child is able to conceive a world that isn’t immediate.

What is an example of the imaginative function?

A child saying ‘I’m a dragon’ in the creation of an imaginary world.

What is the representational function?

The use of language to give facts about a child’s self or the world around them.

What is an example of the representational function?

A child saying ‘I’m six’.